The Marlow Elephants...And Lions

 It is a strange thought that many of our Victorian Marlow forebears may have seen more live elephants in person than we have. Or lions and bears for that matter. The streets of Marlow once echoed with the thud of elephants feet, while the roar of lions could be heard in Riley Recreation ground (Crown Meadow as it was known then). These animals were part of a number of travelling menageries that visited throughout the Victorian period. At least one made their entrance, proceeded by a band, down Henley Road, elephants at the rear.* That must have been a sight to make drinkers at the likes of the Hare and Hounds and Hand and Flowers question whether they had had a little too much to drink! Their finishing spot in the early days was usually Quoiting Square, with Crown Meadow taking some of the carts and caravans. Even so, conditions must have been very cramped in such a space. The menageries most famously came to town at the time of the October Fair but it seems that hardly any year passed without an additional visit by at a showman and his animals (usually they went to Crown Meadow outside of fair time). These menageries have been dealt with in a separate post about Marlow Fair which I will link to below. The subject of today's post is Marlow's resident menagerie, belonging to Captain Marshall. 

Captain Edward Wilfrid Marshall was the son of Shakespearean critic and playwright Frank Marshall. He is said to have been fascinated by wild animals since a boy. As a young man in his 20's he had wealth sufficient to indulge this interest by travelling internationally to see exotic species in person. Unfortunately for the animals, he would also be willing to buy them and bring them home to England to begin or continue a life of captivity. There is no doubt that Captain Marshall considered himself an animal lover, and that he was considered to treat them well within the bounds of their confinement, but it is still sad for us to read details of young animals torn from their natural habitats. 

The first spot Marshall chose for his new menagerie was a meadow near Marlow Mill. At this point Marshall himself was living at the original Thames Lawn, adjacent to Marlow Lock (not the house which currently bears this name which had previously been known as Thames Bank). One of his first acquisitions came courtesy of an unnamed menagerie visiting Marlow in 1890. From them he purchased a young lioness for £50. It was said to have been raised by a Russian collie! Marshall set out to tame her further, and was said to walk about the streets of Marlow with her at his side like a dog, with a collar and lead attached. (Some reports says he also did this with a young male lion.) This bought delight to some of the braver children, and quite the opposite feeling in some of the more nervous adults! A boating man was said to be astonished to see a young man lounging near Marlow Lock with a lioness at his side. As the lioness grew she became what was optimistically called "too affectionate" and was confined to the menagerie. Captain Marshall himself stated he had taken his adult female puma for walk on a leash on numerous occasions, this not ending until her death as she was "as tame as a cat". His younger puma was however too wild to consider attempting the same with it. The animals he found hardest to domesticate were the gnus, not because they were fierce, but because they were too frightened. 

Before long his first meadow became too small to contain his collection, and he took a long lease on a 50 acre area of meadow a little further along the riverbank off Gossmore. This included a large portion of what had formerly been the Marlow Race Course and what was then known as Lower Fields Farm. On this he began to build a range of special animal houses, enclosures and aviaries. These included an elephant lodge heated via hot water pipes. The animals homes, in 3 rows, were only a few hundred yards from his house. The pheasant building alone was 500ft long. 

The animals Marshall held varied over time but included at various points -  a juvenile male and female Bengal tiger, 30 species of pheasant, some antelopes, deer, a small group of gnu, a black American bear, cranes of every known kind including a pair of Mexican cranes he had bought for £200, two pumas, a lion, leopard, wombat, a number of kangaroos, several alpacas, elk, buffalo, small exotic birds, storks, herons, a pair of emus and an ostrich. Within his home could be found a parrot and other caged birds, a Siberian Wolf hound, several domestic cats and a little pug. 

After the farmhouse or homestead of Lower Fields farm -  burned down in 1892 in a suspected case of arson, he also built a substantial bungalow home known as The Eyrie to replace it. The design of this, and the fact it was located on a flood plain, would have a dramatic part to play at the end of the Captain's life. (Architect Howard Dinzey Blowers.) The fire caused great panic in the town as there were unfounded rumours the lions had escaped. A £10 was offered in the hope of catching the culprits behind the fire but I don't believe they ever were. Local rumour has persisted that a jealous former lover of Marshall Mrs Coopinger was behind the blaze and that she then left town never to return  - but the latter at last isn't true. She did not leave Marlow then and was a regular visitor over the succeeding few years. An overheated flue was initially considered the most likely if less dramatic cause. This first homestead does not to our eyes sound especially luxurious - it was described as a recently re- fitted corrugated iron structure. But it was his butler that first discovered the fire so Marshall was not roughing it too much! Marshall lost most of his furniture though, which had just been moved in prior to his arrival a week later. 

He continued to add animals, until he had developed "the most extensive and the most valuable private collection in the world". This now included his most famous acquisitions, the Marlow Elephants - 4 baby Indian elephants, 3 female and one male.

In 1892, Captain Marshall decided to go on a 6 month "Grand Tour" of the world. He left in January on the P&O steamship Himalaya. During his absence the menagerie remained in the care of their keeper Mr Frederick Collier, formerly manager of the Bristol Zoological Gardens. The rest of the estate would be supervised by Mr R F Jackson of Westhorpe.

When he returned, it is said the Captain decided to give up the extremely expensive hobby of collecting wildlife, and what's more to sell off his at least some of his existing animals. He however continued to add a few after this date such as a young tiger cub.  He still owned a number of creatures on his death 2 years later. He had sought to purchase a giraffe too during this time, but they were very rarely captured alive and hence were extremely expensive. London Zoo was said to be actively seeking one at the same period so the Captain had some competition. 

In 1893, Captain Marshall married Penrose Hayter in London. The two were to make their home at The Eyrie. At this point the collection still numbered an incredible 700 animals, although this included a number of small birds in aviaries. The menagerie was opened to the public in this year, as a one off fundraising event for the Cottage Hospital. A large number of curious souls went along the towpath to access the Eyrie, paying 3d entry. The "highly trained" elephants performed tricks and dances for the crowd with their trainer Madame Paul Telezerow of Austria. A month later, the 4 baby elephants were conveyed on a specially constructed van of "huge dimensions" by train to London. There they had been engaged to give a series of performances at the London Royal Aquarium. 

A few months after this, it seems the couple decided to move and the remaining animals and the then 50 acre Eyrie estate itself were put on the market. Their home was described as a "charming bungalow" and "pretty red brick dwelling" overlooking the beautiful Quarry woods, with 1000 yards of river frontage. The 4 elephants were priced at £1,100, a gnu £100, and a young tigress £70. It was noted that in recent years some £10,000 had been spent on the property. It appears they then changed their mind about the move, as they ordered work on the bungalow that would see it substantially enlarged. While this work was ongoing they planned a long trip away. 

Shortly after this, Marshall was in declining health. He suffered a severe attack of influenza, and although a recovery was initially hoped for, complications set in and he was believed to be suffering from acute pneumonia. By the autumn of 1894, he was dangerously ill. Unfortunately, the Thames was in flood and water surrounded The Eyrie. His wife remained at his side, no doubt hoping the flood would subside and so avoid the issue of moving a man on his sick bed.  The couple's baby son Albert Wilfrid Cordwallis Marshall, and his nurse, were sent to the safety of Remnantz. When the water was 4 ft high outside and still rising, it was realised that time was of the essence and an evacuation plan was made. The horse and carriage that took Mr and Mrs Marshall away did so in water that came up to the horses chest. They went to the Crown Hotel but nothing more could be done for the patient.  Captain Marshall died there on the 27th November 1894 age 28. A Catholic, he was buried at St. Peters Church**. 

The remaining animals were quickly dispersed and most of the outbuildings taken down or sold. Mrs Marshall organised that the Eyrie itself should be let before putting it up for sale in 1898. The majority of surrounding meadowland had already been sold, leaving the Eyrie with just 1 acre of grounds. At this point the property had 5 bedrooms, a bathroom and two reception rooms. 

But what of the animals? Some were sold to London Zoo. Others went to Ireland and the Continent. Two of the little elephants were sold to Olympia. One of the females, Rosie, ended up at Sangers Circus. The last mention of her I could find is sadly a heartbreaking one, from 1897. She was on the long march with the Circus from Hounslow to perform in Maidenhead. It appears the journey was too much for her, and when she reached Slough, she tried to break away from the march. A male elephant who tried to follow was "beaten off". Her keepers could tell she was ill and so took her to the stables of the Crown Hotel in Slough. She then collapsed with exhaustion in the yard. They fed her and gave her whisky for an hour after which she was able to stand and walk slowly into a stall. Rosie smashed the woodwork of her stabling while the keepers went to dinner. But there was no escape for her, and she eventually went on to join the other parts of the Circus in Maidenhead. 

The loss to Marlow of the Menagerie was credited as the reason behind an explosion in the rat population afterwards. It was said the number of rodents had declined once the big cats moved in as they did not wish to get too close. With the animals gone, the rats came back. 

A quick mention of the other Victorian menagerie situated in the town. Alfred H Cocks maintained one of British wild animals such as otters, foxes, wildcats, pine martens and polecats. This was located at his home Thames Bank and later at Poynetts, Skirmett. It was also open to the public occasionally for fundraising purposes. 

The Eyrie was rechristened Gosemore by resident Percy Wild the artist in the summer of 1899, reflecting an old spelling of the areas name. It was usually rendered as Gos(s)more however. 

*In 1880, residents could see two elephants from the visiting Myers Circus bathing in the Thames nearly Marlow Bridge. The animals seemed to enjoy their bath "immensely". 

**Mrs Marshall remarried in 1895, to Capt. Edward Bryce-Wilson of the 5th Lancers. 

For more on Marlow Fair see this post: here

And the 1890's flu pandemic in Marlow here

Index of posts related to everyday life in old Marlow: here

To find all mentions of your ancestors here, use the A-Z person index in the top drop down menu. New posts added daily! As of April 2022 there are 4,000 people listed there.

Sources: 

Cornish, Charles John - Life at the Zoo: Notes and Traditions of the Regents Park Gardens Edition 3, (Seeley 1895)

British Architect: A Journal of architecture and its accessory arts. Vol 37. (J.F Wells, 1892)

Supplement to the Fishing Gazette  - July 20 1889 (Charles William Bradley & Co, 1890)

South Bucks Standard 1st Jan, 16 September & 9 December 1892, 28 April & May 19 1893, 30 November 1894. Copies held at the British Library and accessed via the BNA.  

Pall Mall Gazette 20 October 1893.

Slough, Eton and Windsor Observer October 11 1890 & Feb 24th 1894,  Slough reference library. 

The Million, 10th Feb 1894 - thanks to Jo Anderson for a view of this. 

Maidenhead Advertiser, April 28th 1880 courtesy of Malcom Jones. 

©Marlow Ancestors

 

 

The Old Police Station and Police Court, Trinity Rd, Marlow (Formerly Gun Lane)

 Police Court is top pic, police station below. Sorry about all the shadows! 

The 1869 date on this building refers only to the police court which was added to the existing police station when the latter was around 10 years old. This first part may have been converted into police use from a near derelict domestic building called The Garrison, sources conflict* Plans to add a room to the station for the purpose of holding petty sessions was mooted in 1865, but progress was very slow. The extension was opened in October 1869. It provided direct access from the police station so prisoners could proceed straight into the court. Normally referred to as the Petty Session Room in the first few years, there was also a retiring room for the magistrates. Sir William Robert Clayton donated a bust of the Queen and the Prince and Princess of Wales to stare down at offenders. In 1876, he donated an 8 day clock too. 

Previously the petty sessions were held in a small room of the Crown, which they had utilised for that purpose for many years. An agreement was made that the authorities could pay a pepper corn rent for it. (The Crown landlord collected one guinea from each magistrate per year in theory but not all actually made the payment.) The magistrates however frequently complained about the unsuitability of this accommodation. In particular they feared trying a poaching case because they said the court was overwhelmed with curious spectators (usually vocally supporting the poachers). It was hard to control the numbers coming into the tiny room, often resulting in everyone packed so close that you "could scarcely stick a pin in between them", as one person charmingly put it in 1865. This mixing of closely pressed men and women was "very disgraceful and often indecent" they said. Disruption of proceeding was not uncommon. Some questioned why the town hall could not be used instead, but this was let to the neighbouring Crown and the proprietors of that would not agree for a larger room to be used there. They said the court proceedings attracted a large enough mob of ne'er do wells already - aside from those answering a summons! A new room would allow the sessions to continue in "peace and quietness." Records suggest that some sessions were held at the police station even before the room was finished, although that can't have been easy space wise. 

The petty sessions room extension was completed quickly once permission was finally granted for it to go ahead. Once finished the "commodius" extension was praised as "well arranged with every accommodation." Such satisfaction was short-lived. The police station was made for a sergeant and 2-3 constables. Sometimes an

extra constable was bought in at weekends during Marlow's busy summer river season. Marlow was granted a forth constable in 1900. Complaints were made about insufficient lighting at the station, cramped conditions and dodgy heating. (Actually the first complaint about police station heating came as early as 1859!) Although improvements were made in fits and starts, Marlow did not get a new police station until the 1960's. 

The senior police staff were usually resident at the police station itself in Victorian times as you can see from census returns. (The unmarried junior policeman often lodged elsewhere, although at Marlow at least one is usually to be found lodging at the station.)  I believe the first police Inspector resident was Thomas Knott Clark who may well have arrived in 1858. He was certainly there by the time of the 1861 census - address "Police Station Gun Lane". Born in Hillingdon, Thomas was living in the station with wife Emma nee Cheese and their two eldest children Thomas age 3 and Emma age 1. Inspector Thomas would later return to the trade of his youth in Uxbridge - he became a coach painter in High Wycombe. The other 1861 resident in the Police Station was Constable William Nash age 21. In 1863 Inspector John Pearman took over and described the station as a "nice home with a good garden". 

The property included an airing yard for prisoners and later, stabling for horses. The stables were extended in 1910. 

The Petty Sessions were originally held twice a month, although hearings for indictable offences could be held at other times. The days of the week it operated on and the overall frequency varied over the years. The courtroom saw occasional other uses such as coroner's inquests and parish council meetings. A plea from the Marlow Rifle club in its 1859 incarnation to store their weapons at the Police Station was refused. The police felt they could only be conveniently stored in the corridor leading to the cells. This spot was considered a little too close to the prisoners for their liking, especially in the event of a riot. (A not infrequent occurrence in Great Marlow!)

Did the Marlow police patrol Dean Street and Marefield in pairs? This is a common Marlow story and the answer to that question is both yes, and no. 

In the earlier 19th century the area was both poor and home to many hardened poachers. Some arrests were certainly drawn out and bloody affairs - see the post here for details of one especially serious incident! It's unsurprising that the parish constables tended to take a couple of tithing man along to assist when attempting an arrest on one of these individuals but these were extraordinary, planned operations not part of patrol duties. 

But this must be tempered by the many narratives of crimes and arrests where the residents of Dean Street show no hesitation at going to the police for help themselves. It was not always "us and them".

In mid and later Victorian court cases when two constables give evidence about assisting in the same arrest,  or if both have witnessed the same crime, these things have nearly always occurred because the second man has been summoned by the first, not because they were patrolling together in the first place. And the delay recorded in help arriving means assistance was not just a few feet away. Marlow didn't have enough constables on duty at once to go about routinely paired up at that time. Remember they had to have men patrolling outlying places like Bovingdon Green and Handy Cross not just central Marlow. (Little Marlow got a constable in 1866) Also the narrative of events, particularly around domestic abuse cases, are full of single constables entering homes when they are aware of incidents occurring inside. They did not wait for back up. These were often brave men.

But if we move on to the 20th century there are numerous accounts in the 1920's and 30's of pairs of constables on patrol (although not exclusively in the Dean Street area by any means). So while the evidence definitely doesn't support a long tradition of paired policing in Dean Street, there was certainly a time when at least sometimes it was needed.

Sometimes those passing the police station and court in a less than sober manner caught the attention of those inside. At least one man who sang a bit loudly outside was arrested and bought straight before the magistrates for a telling off. Labourers William Laurie and Albert Wingrave probably felt a little less merry after their arrest for drunken behaviour outside the Police Station in 1907. They were fined 10s each plus costs. They received a night in the cells too. And in 1912, Florence Collier of Trinity Court had the misfortune of being overhead using bad language at her children, by the police within the station. She was summoned but it was decided to be lenient to her and dismiss her with a caution. She probably swore that little bit more quietly in future! 

In 1883 suspected sheep rustler James Howard mounted a daring escape from custody in the police station. This deserves a post of its own, which will follow in future.

*Did you know?

Marlow man Charles Carter acted as architect for Beaconsfield police station (opened 1870) through his position as the county surveyor. Charles was also responsible as architect for what is now the Masonic Centre, the new Blacksmiths Arms at Handy Cross, and the Primitive Methodist Chapel (now Liston Hall) amongst many more projects. 

Above, the Police Court sign. The brickwork visible around it is in the English Bond pattern, not particularly fashionable at the time though it came back into fashion in later Victorian times. It was likely chosen for its strength.

*We are working to confirm the exact date the building came into use as a police station. The police were established in Trinity Lane by 1861, but they may well have been there from 1859 based on descriptions of the interior of the building then in use. The former parish lock up in the base of the Town Hall was convenient for the old petty sessions held adjacent. A man to look after that lock up was sought in 1856 - wage of 15 shillings a week with a uniform of hat and coat provided. An earlier "cage house" was also located near the Crown. In 1852 the old lock up was described as a "filthy hole" with no convenience or adequate means of ventilation. It was however not impossible to escape from, as happened on several occasions. Jesse May, arrested for robbery with 3 others,  found his way out in 1853 through a gap in the "railings" said to measure just over 25cm by 21cm which does not seem entirely credible. But whatever the hole size, he did escape and was not apprehended again for 5 months. 

Related posts:

Victorian Sergeant John James Maneely biography here

History of Gun Lane here

Parish Beadle Pocock here

Crime and disorder in old Marlow here

A full list of Marlow crime related posts can be found under the General History option on the top drop down menu. 

Use the A-Z person index to find every mention of your ancestor - there is over 6,000 former Marlow residents currently listed as of July 2022.  

This post researched and written by Kathryn Day. Further research by Charlotte Day.

References

County Compendium, Diary, Statistical Chronicle and Magisterial and Official Directory 1879. Ed - Sir John Richard Somers Vine. 

Accounts and papers volume 25, Great Britain Houses of Parliament, 1849. 

The Builder, December 10th 1870, digitised by Google. 

Berkshire Chronicle 22 October 1859. 

Bucks Herald 22 October 1859 - thanks to Mathew Peterson.

Dickens Dictionary of The Thames 1856 edition. 

Bucks Chronicle and Bucks Gazette 1 July 1865

South Bucks Free Press 30 June 1865, South Bucks Standard 18 May 1900 & 25 January 1912. Windsor and Eton Express 9 October 1869, Bucks Herald 09 June 1866 & 5 July 1884, Windsor, Maidenhead and Eton Journal 15 May 1876, Bucks Advertiser and Aylesbury News 31 Jan 1852 : all at the British Library Archive. 

Kelly's Directory 1883, 1903, Kelly's Directories Ltd. 

Dozens of petty session case narratives, too many to list individually! 

©Marlow Ancestors. .